Ayozé Pérez (now playing for Real Betis)

[LRD]

Hero of the day.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Best he's played in an age. Finally stopped dallying on the ball.

[joeyt]

We look much more like a team when he plays in my opinion

[Dr. TC]

Excellent today.

[Smal]

We look much more like a team when he plays in my opinion

 

The players seem to understand their roles much better in this formation with Perez playing.

[madras]

Perez has often looked better up front even in the prem last time.

[mighty__mag]

Is that the first time hes been used as a striker this season?

[The College Dropout]

Perez has often looked better up front even in the prem last time.

aye. When he first burst onto the scene he played right up top or ‘wide’. 

 

I have no idea about Perez anymore. As a player.  His impact on the team.  I just don’t know.

 

Happy for him. 

[HaydnNUFC]

My MOTM. Superb today.

[xLiaaamx]

His feet were quick again, rather than being full of lead.

[Smal]

It looked to me like he was playing his usual position? Maybe a little further up the pitch but he was playing behind a striker for most of the game.

 

Atsu started as the central striker, with Perez behind him. They seemed to swap a bit. Then Gayle came on and played as the central striker again with Perez behind him.

 

Perhaps he had less defensive responsibilities which allowed him to focus on finding space more, which he's always been good at.

[KaKa]

You couldn't be more wrong. Cannot believe you actually watched the game and thought Perez was playing behind Atsu. That is actually incredible to me.

 

He was leading the line and was fantastic doing it. Not sure I'd have anyone else start upfront ahead of him for the mean time. Far more active than Gayle and more mobile than Joselu.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I didn't think he was amazing, but that's the best match I've seen him have in ages like.

[Mikky]

You couldn't be more wrong. Cannot believe you actually watched the game and thought Perez was playing behind Atsu. That is actually incredible to me.

 

He was leading the line and was fantastic doing it. Not sure I'd have anyone else start upfront ahead of him for the mean time. Far more active than Gayle and more mobile than Joselu.

 

Last sentence spot on

[Bimpy474]

So much better when pushed right up top, drops off when he needs to. Played with intelligence and seemed to prefer moving into the channels. His best game for a long while.

[Rebellious]

The commentator said he had the most Premier League experience out of anyone in our team and hes only 24. Says a lot about our team. Ashley is a dick.

[Pilko]

We seem to get more points when he plays like, regardless of how well he actually performs himself.

[KaKa]

Looking back he has always had his best form for us upfront, and would regularly score goals for us in that position. It's where he was playing when he started getting linked to the likes of Spurs and Barca.

 

Would love to see him given a chance there now. Fed up of the other two, who could both do with a long rest.

[Hanshithispantz]

You couldn't be more wrong. Cannot believe you actually watched the game and thought Perez was playing behind Atsu. That is actually incredible to me.

 

Perez:

 

 

Atsu:

 

 

Atsu was definitely ahead of Perez at times like, and Gayle went up top when he came on. Absolutely nothing wrong with what Smal said.

[Smal]

The commentator said he had the most Premier League experience out of anyone in our team and hes only 24. Says a lot about our team. Ashley is a dick.

 

I'm fairly sure he was wrong as Clark has played significantly more PL games.

[Optimistic Nut]

Perez has often looked better up front even in the prem last time.

aye. When he first burst onto the scene he played right up top or ‘wide’. 

 

I have no idea about Perez anymore. As a player.  His impact on the team.  I just don’t know.

 

Happy for him. 

 

That goal at WBA away in his first season. Lush.

[Bimpy474]

Well he played up top, played very very well and scored, you can't ask more of a central forward like. Keep him up there imo.

[Greg]

The commentator said he had the most Premier League experience out of anyone in our team and hes only 24. Says a lot about our team. Ashley is a dick.

 

I'm fairly sure he was wrong as Clark has played significantly more PL games.

 

Think he meant for Newcastle. Shelvey also has more.

[afar]

That was the best performance from a striker for us all season, that's clearly his position, not sure if he can be that effective in it at home but leading the line away from home with Atsu and Murphy running off him, is pretty darn good if he can replicate this performance, totally deserved his goal.

[KaKa]

You couldn't be more wrong. Cannot believe you actually watched the game and thought Perez was playing behind Atsu. That is actually incredible to me.

 

Perez:

 

 

Atsu:

 

 

Atsu was definitely ahead of Perez at times like, and Gayle went up top when he came on. Absolutely nothing wrong with what Smal said.

 

Ayoze Perez lead the line man, and moved into the channels to Allow Atsu to move forward at times. It shifted their defenders around and unsettled them. It was very important play from him as the lone striker. Atsu did well to take advantage of the spaces being created, but he in no way lead the line at all.

 

Perez did not start in the number 10 position at all, and it was a major reason he looked so much better, as he had more room to work with. It is why we did not see him receiving the ball as often in deeper positions, and being pushed off the ball, which happens far too often when he plays there.